Spool



Jan. 8, 1946. R. v. OLSON SPOOL 2. Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. s, 1943 I l I Jan. 8, 1946. R, v, OLSON 2,392,612

SPOOL Filed Feb. 6,1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 YIIIIIII/II/ 'III/IIIlI/IL INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Jam. 8, 1946 SPOOL Robert V. Olson, Attleboro, Mara, assignoi: to

Mossberg Pressed Steel Corporation, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 6, i943, Serial No. 474,983

9 Claims. (Cl. 242 -72) This invention relates to a spool 01' the type particularly adapted for use in the drawing and annealing of wire. a

'In the use oi wire drawing and annealing spools the tendency in the trade has been toward operating these spools at higher speeds and at the same time winding upon the spools wire of smaller diameter. Both of these factors enter into placing greater strains upon the spools and the requirement that the spools be made exceedingiy sturdy in order to maintain their required accuracy and balance.

Spools and reels, such as are in common use 2 and being made of material suillciently thick to have the required strength, are very often of excessive weight when wire of the finer sizes are wound on the spool, andwhich have to be removed in subsequent operations. Another factor entering into spool production is the large sized arbors' on the wire drawing machine which are now utilized for winding the wire on the spools, such arbors are of an increased size in order that they will have the required rigidity for true running of the spools at higher speeds and also to provide an arbor which will Permit of quicker mounting of the 'spool, the same being an overhanging arbor and unsupported at its outer end. Accordingly the center hole through the spool is of a size nearly the size of the barrel. The barrel is subjected to severe compressive stress, especially at a point mid-way between its head ends and the problem of supporting this location of the barrel is present. The arbor which is used for supporting the spool may have keys or dogs which extend out from its surface to grip the spool and hold it in position.

One of the objectsof this invention is to provide a strong and well supported barrel without the usual increase in the weight of the stock entering into the barrel and its support.

Another object of this inventionis to use the same material which normally serves as a shaft bearing surface to internally reinforce the barrel of the spool.

Another object of this invention is to provide a barrel which is supported at its center portion with a truss-like arrangement of the parts.

Another object of the invention is to providea barrel having an internal surface which will provide a good bearing upon an arbor and which will be of such a construction as to lock with keys or dogs which extend from the arbor and prevent axial movement of the spool along the arbor.

Another object of the invention is to prevent chafing of the wire by the heads of the spools due to misalignment between the traverse bar and the spool. I 1

Another object 01' this invention is to provid a spool which may be accurately positioned on the arbor with respect to the traverse guide which guides the wire onto the spool to make adjustment of the wire guide unnecessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spool which is lessliable to be discharged from an arbor than spools heretofore utilized.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fi 1 is a sectional view through my improved spool and also illustrating in section an arbor for supporting the same;

Fig. 2- is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental section showing on a larger scale a portion of the spool shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental end view of a modified form of spool;

Fig. 5 s a section of the spool shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a still diiferent modified form of spool;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of astill difierent modified form;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a still different modification;

Fig. 9 is a section through the center of the barrel showing a modified form of the supporting arrangement at this location.

In order to obtain increased strength per unit of the. weight of the spool made I have reinforced a barrel by offset portions of the sheet stock or provided connecting parts in a truss-like arrangement rather than to increase the thickness of the barrel stock thereby increasing the weight to ob tain additional strength. The center of the barrel between the two heads requires support which I have provided by a portion contacting therewith and which is reinforced by connecting this support to the barrel ends by some part which is in effect arched away from the barrel between these points of connection in a relationship which provides great strength. In securing the tying member to the ends of the barrel I have found it of advantage to provide an internal recess extending radially outwardly from the center of the spool so as to receive projections on the expanding members 01' the arbor and to utilize the shoulder formed by this recess for aligning the spool with the arbor which in turn aligns the 'spool with a traverse mechanism which distributes the wire onto the spool and makes unnecessary an adjustment of the traverse mechanism frequently necessary when a spool is put in place.

With reference to the drawings, I designates an arbor upon which a spool is to be positioned. The arbor is radially slotted to receive the expanding members II and I2 suitably located in spaced relation. These projections may engage a smooth bore but in this particular case I utilize these for more accurate position of the spool which is positioned on the arbor as will be hereinafter explained. The members II and I2 may be expanded outwardly by any convenient arrangement. One particular means for expanding these members is however illustrated.

The members I I and I2 are shown as each provided with an inclined surface I4 which engages an inclined surface of each of the members I5 on an oppositely threaded shaft I6. The members I5 are held against rotation by a key I! which may slide in the slots I8 of the members. Upon rotation of the shaft l6 by the squared head I9 engaged by a suitable wrench or handle the members I 5 may move toward or from each other to expand or permit contraction of the members II and I2. The members II and I2 are accurately guided in their movement so that they may in turn serve for alignment of the spool in position.

The spool consists of a barrel 25 with heads 26 at either end having flanges 21 which abut the end 28 of the barrel and in effect become a part of the barrel. The head may be reinforced by a plate 29 which will have a flange 30 to overlap the abutted ends of the flange 21 and the end of the barrel 28 and which flange 30 becomes a part of the barrel.

Some means to support the center of the barrel:

25 is provided which in Fig. 1 consists of an annulus 32 which engages the center of the barrel and is welded in place by a continuous weld or by a series of spot welds 3'4 as shown in Fig. 1 this annulus 32 is a continuous enlarged portion of a center tube 33 extending the length of the spool. In Fig. 9 I have illustrated engagement with the barrel as being provided at intermittent points 35 while the portions 36 between will be in the same cylindrical alignment as the remainder of the center tube 33. In Fig. 8 the support is shown by a separate member 31 welded as at 38 to the barrel and welded as at 39 to the center tube 33. Points of welding may be either continuous or at separate spots annularly about this support.

The center tube 33 is connected to the ends of the barrels in some convenient manner and I have illustrated several variations of such a connection. In Figs. 1 and 3 the end of the center tube 33 is annularly enlarged at 40 so that its outer diameter will be of a size to flt the flange 30 of the reinforcing plate 29 which is located between the barrel and this annularly enlarged portion 40 and in effect is part of the barrel. The connection is formed by welding 4| which may be either in the form of spot or continuous and at the same time the outer surface of the flange 30 will be secured by welding 42 to the abutting ends of the barrel 28 and flange 21 and I also these abutted ends will at the same time be welded together so as to form a homogeneous connection of these four parts by the welding operation at these points just indicated. A

shoulder 43 is formed by the annular expansion 40 at the end of the tube 33 for the purposes of alignment which will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In Figs. 4 and 5 construction is illustrated which closely follows the showing in Figs. 1 to 3 but in theseflgures instead of the tube 33 being expanded annularly as shown at 40 the expansion is at intermittent locations 44 spaced about the tube, thus providing recesses 45 at these spaced locations rather than a continuous enlargement as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The arrangement of the recesses 45 will be such that they will be positioned to receive the projections I2 on the expansion members heretofore indicated in Fig. 1. In this case the welding will be by spot welds 4| at the points of enlargemen just described.

In Fig. 6 the enlargement at the end of the tube 33 designated 41 is similar to the showing in Fig. 3 except that the expansion of the tube is greater so that the enlarged ortion 48 itself contacts the flange 21 and end portion 28 of the barrel which abut and the weld 42 joins all these parts. This arrangement illustrates a spool in which the reinforcing plate designated generally 29 has been omitted.

In Fig. 7 I provide a construction in which the end of the center tube 33 continues in its spaced relation from the barrel 25 and is flared as at 49 in the usual manner but the end of the reinforcing plate 29 has its flange 30 doubled over as at 50 in an amount so as to flll the space 5I between the barrel and the tube whereby the spot 4 is similar to that shown in Fig. 7 and is designated by the same reference characters.

In all of the cases where the end of the tube is enlarged either continuously or intermittently a shoulder 43 is provided which will be positioned 'at a predetermined relation from the inner surface 55 of the head. Thus when the spool is positioned on the arbor and engaged by the inner edge I3 of the expansion members I I and I2 which edges l3 are a known and predetermined distance apart I will align the spool in a definite relation on the arbor and in a definite relation to the traverse guide which directs the wire onto the spool. The accurate positioning of the shoulders 43 and the inner surface 55 of the head is done to precision by accurate and carefully arranged jigs and with the accuracy of position of projections of the arbor a definite alignment may be provided by mere positioning of the spool onto the arbor. I

It will also be readily apparent that by having the projections on the expansion portions of the arbor engaging shoulders formed in the spool not only do I obtain accuracy and alignment but I also arrange a construction which cannot easily be dislodged from the arbor even though the expanding portions should loosen. Thus, it is'required that a positive manual turning of the threaded shaft It be had in order that the spool may be withdrawn from the arbor.

wardly extendingrecesses in its inner surface,

I claim:

1. In a spool having a barrel with heads at either end a center tube extending axially through said barrel and with the walls thereof being parallel to said barrel for the greater extent thereof, said tube being expanded radially to contact said barrel at its end portions providing outwardly extending recesses in its inner surface and means to secure said expanded portions to said barrel.

2. In a spool having a barrel with heads at either end a center tube extending axially through said barrel and with the walls thereof being parallel to said barrel for the greater extent thereof, said tube being expanded radially to contact said barrel at its end portions and intermediate its ends providing outwardly extending recesses in its inner surface, and means to secure said expanded portions to said barrel.

3. In a spool having a barrel with heads at either end a center tube extending axially through said barrel and with the walls thereof being parallel to said barrel for the greater extent thereof, said tube being expanded radially to contact said barrel at its end portions providing outwardly extending recesses in its inner surface said expanded portions providing a locating shoulder for alignment of said spool in position.

4. In a spool having a barrel with heads at either end a center tube extending axially through said barrel and with the walls thereof being parallel to said barrel for the greater extent thereof, said tube being expanded radially to contact said barrel at its end portions providing outwardly extending recesses in its inner surface, and means to secure said expanded portions to said barrel, said expanded portions providing a locating shoulder for alignment of said spool in position.

5. In a spool having a barrel with heads at either end a center tube extending axially through said barrel and with the walls thereof being parallel to said barrel for the greater extent thereof, said tube being intermittently expanded radially at its end portions providing outsaid expanded portions providing a locating shoulder for alignment of said spool in position.

6. In a spool having a barrel with heads at either end a center tube extending axially through said barrel and with the walls thereof being parallel to said barrel for the greater extent thereof, said tube being annularly expanded radially to contact said barrel at its end portions providing outwardly extending recesses in its inner surface, and means to secure said expanded portions to said barrel.

'7. In a spool having a barrel with heads at either end a center tube extending axially through said barrel and with the walls thereof being parallel to said barrel for the greater extent thereof, said tube being intermittently expanded radially intermediate its ends providing outwardly extending recesses in its inner surface, and means to secure said expanded portions to said barrel.

8. A spool having a tubular barrel portion and a tubular bearing extending axially through said barrel in spaced relation therewith and with the walls of said barrel and tubular bearing being substantially parallel to each other for substantially the entire length thereof, said tubular bearing being expanded at either end and at a point intermediate the ends to engage said barrel and axis, a spool having an opening to receive said arbor and a circular recess to receive said projection, said recess having a circular radial wall concentric with and at right angles to the axis and extending radially outwardly from said opening to provide for a shoulder to shoulder engagement with said projection throughout 360 degrees for alignment of said spool in a definite position on said arbor.

ROBERT V. OLSON. 

